Revolving signal-light



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. BOLSON. REVOLVING SIGNAL LIGHT.

(No ModeL) Patented Nov. 15

W-Hmeooeatzl N. PETERS, Phuwukhognpher, Wash nglun. D. C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W'. BOLSON. REVOLVING SIGNAL LIGHT.

Patented Nov. 15, 1887.

ance mica whines ova u PETERs, Pwzlo-L'lllwgnpinr. Wahinglm n.c-

proved device.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BOLSON, OF OCONOMOWOG, WISCONSIN.

REVOLVING SIGNAL-LIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.- 373,047, dated November 15. 1887. h

Application filed June 17,1887. Serial No. 241,651. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BoLsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at'Oconomowoc, in the county of Waukesha and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Revolving Signal-Lights, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in revolving signal-lights; and it consists in the construction and arrangementot' the parts of the same,which will be more fully hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a revolving signal-light which is adapted to be operated through the medium of translating mechanism, through which motion is imparted from one of the axles of the truck-wheels; I attain this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein like letters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my ini- Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on an enlarged scale.

A indicates a portion of the floor of a caboose-car, upon which my improved signallight is mounted in. connection with the coupler B. Secured to the under side of the floor A is a hanger-casting, G, which forms the bearings and supports for the mechanism adapted to revolve the light. This hanger O is pivotally mounted in the bracket 0 at one end by means of a pintle-rod, c, passing therethrough. The hanger-casting G is movably mounted on two pins or bolts, D,which project downwardly from the under side of the floor A and pass through apertures formed in angular projections 0 constructed integrally with the said casting. The two bolts or rods D also support a plate, D, by passing through apertures in the end thereof, the said plate having coiled springs S S, which surround the rods D, arranged between the under sides thereof on the top surface of the projections 0 In the cen tral portion of the plate D two short posts, 01, are secured, which are also encircled by coiled springs S, which are seated between plates, 0, secured in the open portion of the casting C, and under the plate D. These short posts d rest in the plates 0 and by means of the springs S and'S, as thus described, the end of the casting, on which the said parts are mounted, is cushioned against shocks or jars., The opposite end of the casting C is in like manner provided with the tie-plates a, similarly constructed and mounted as the plate a at the other end of the said casting.

Above the plate D, and secured to the under side of the platform A, a bearingrplate, D is mounted, through which a screw-rod, E, having a hand-wheel, E, passes, and is adapted to adjust the casting as may be desired.

The hand-wheel E, situated on the-top surface of the platform A, is adapted to be operated from this point to control the revolution of the light, as will be more fully hereinafter described. A guard-collar, E is mounted on the screw-rod E, and by adjusting the said collar after the hand-wheel has been turned to adjust the mechanism beneath, the screwrod is preventedfrom turning by turning the said collar down in contact with a plate, E secured to the top'surface of the car frame or platform, and to which the said screw-rod E passes. The lower end of the said screw-rod E passes through the plate D, when it is adapted to adjust the casting C, as will be readily understood and seen by the drawings. When the end of the casting O is adjusted by means of screw-rod E, the other end of the casting will have a hinged motion due to the construction heretofore described.

Upon one of the axles of the truck-wheels a rubber collar, F, is rigidly secured, with which a friction wheel or disk, F, engages when adjusted, through the medium of the casting G. In the central portion of each of the arms of the casting C an upright j ournalbracket, f, is secured, having a movable box or journal,f, constructed with flanges f ,which engage with the outer surface of the arms of the upright, and through which the shaft of the central disk, F passes. The boxing f is adapted to be adjusted by means of a set-screw, f which passes through the top of the upright casting f and presses against the top of the movable box f rounded by a rubber rim, Fiwhich is adapted to bear against the periphery of the wheel F. Ahead of the wheel F a third wheel, F is mounted, which is of larger diameter than the wheel F*, the said wheel F being of larger di- The periphery of the disk F is surameter than the wheel F, by which construction the rapid motion ofthe truck-axle will be converted into a slower motion and translated by the wheel F. The wheels F*and Fare each provided with suitable shafts or axles which have bearings in the two portions of the bracket 0. On the end of the shaft passing through the wheel Fa pinion, p, is rigidly secured, which engages with a horizontally-arranged face-gearing, P, mounted on ashaft,M, which projects up through the floor- A and through the cupola B of the caboose, and has the signal-light H mounted on the upper end thereof and above the top of the eupola B, as shown. Thelowerend ofthe shaft M isstepped in a depending bracket or hanger, N,which is secured to the under side ofthe floor. The gear-wheel P is movable on the shaft M, and between a collar, m, secured on the said shaft adjacent to the under side of the floor A, and the top portion of the collar of the gearing P a coiled spring, S, is mounted, thereby providing means for throwing the gear P into continual mesh with the pinion p, in whatever position the casting C may be placed. Surrounding the shaft M, immediately under the floor A, is a collar, m, secured to said shaft by a set-screw, m and by means of which the lightis held in a proper elevation desired,preventing a displacement of the shaft M from its proper position.

The rubber disk F on the axle ofthe truck bears against the wheel F and imparts motion thereto, the said wheel F translating its motion to the wheel F", and the wheel F to its rubber disk F, to the wheel F*, and from thence to the pinion p to the gear P,which revolves the shaft M and the signal-light H. Tighter contact between the wheel F and the rubber collar F is obtained by regulating the screw-rod E, as hereiubefore set forth. In adjusting the central wheel, F to produce a more firm frictional contact between its rubber disk F and the peripheries of the wheels F and F, the adjustable boxing is operated, as hereinbefore set forth. Thus it will be seen that a revolving motion will be imparted to the light H and an alternate safety and danger signal to flash thereby, for the purposes desired;

My improved signal is intended more especially for use at night to prevent collisions with the rear portions of freight and passenger trains by the trains running behind the same on the same track. The revolution of the light will indicate that the car upon which it is used is moving, so that the engineer of the rear train will be notified of the fact by the flash of the signal, and thereby prevent a collision. In the daytime the signal is caused to cease its revolution by unscrewing the screw 3E and releasing the wheel F from contact with the wheel F. By this latter operation the signal is caused to remain stationary and ready for connection to cause revolution thereof at any time when necessary.

The novelty and utility of my improvement are obviously apparent, anditis' unnecessary to further enlarge upon the same herein.

It is obvious that many minor changes in the construction and combination of the various parts may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a revolving signal-light, the combination of the disk F, mounted 011 the truck-axle, the wheels F, F and F arranged as described, the adjustable bracket-frame O,supporting the said wheels, the pinion p at one end of the frame 0, and operated by the wheel F, the face-gear P, adapted to engage the pinion p, the shaft M, upon which the face-gear P is mounted,the bracket-arm N, in which the said shaft is stepped, and the signal-lightH on the upper end of said shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a signal-light, the combination of the vertical shalt M, stepped at its lower end in the bracketarm N,t-he signal-light H, carried on the upper end of the said shaft, the two frictional wheels F and F, having an adjustable wheel, F provided with a rubber tire or rim, mounted between the same, said wheels operating the said shaft M through intermediate gearing, the adjustable bracket 0, carrying the said wheels, and the disk F on one of the truck-axles, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the shaft M, having the signal-light H mounted on its upper end, the series of friction-wheels operating the said vertical shaft, the adjustable bracket 0, in

which the said wheels are mounted, the rubber disk F on the truck-axle, adapted to impart motion to said friction-wheels from the said axle, and the screw-rod E for adjusting the bracket 0, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the casting O, hinged at one end to the under side of the floor of the car, the frictional wheels arranged therein, the rubber disk F, mounted on the truck-axle, the rods D, passing through the angular projections of the casting C, the plate D, and the adjusting screw-rod E, having the operating hand-wheel E, arranged above the top surface of the car-floor, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the casting O, hinged to the under side of the car-floor at one end, the rods D, passing through the angular projections at the other end of said casting, the series of friction-wheels F, F, and F", and the vertically-adj ustable boxings f in connection with the wheel F, mounted in standards f, secured to the bracket 0, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the casting G, hinged to the under side of the caboose-frame at one end thereof, the rods D, secured to the under side of the floor A of the said frame and passing through apertures in the angle projections formed with the said casting O, the plate D,

mounted on the said rods D, the short rods d,

passing through the said plate D, between the rods D, the tie-plate c, mounted between the angular projectionsc of the casting C, the coiled springs S and S, surrounding the rods D and d, and the vertical screw-rod E,secured at its lower end to the plate D and projecting above the caboose platform or flooring, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the frame 0, carrying the'frictional gearing for operating a signal-light, two rods, D, the rods (1, supported by the bracket, and the plate D, in connection with the said rods, the screw-rod E, secured at its lower end to the plate D, and having a wheel, E, on its upper end, and the clampingcollar E on the said rod E above the cabooseplatform, substantially as described.

'8. The combination, with the adjustable bracket-frame O, of the series of wheels F, F, and 13, mounted in the said bracket-frame, the disk or wheel F, mounted upon the axle of the truck,the pinion 19, mounted at one end of the said bracket-frame, the face-gear 1?, adapted to engage with the pinion p, the shaft M, upon which the face-gear P is mounted and having the signal-light at its upper end, the collar m, mounted on the shaft M, the coiled spring S, mounted on the shaft M, between the said collar m and the face-gear P, and the collar on, having a set-screw, m, also mounted on the shaft M above the collar m and adjacent to the flooring of the caboose, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with the adjustable bracket-frame O, of the friction-Wheels F and F, the central wheel, F having the peripheral rubber disk F adapted to engage with the wheels F and F*, the verticallyadjustable boxes f, mounted in standards f, secured to the bracket-frame O, and'in which the ends of the shaft of the wheel F are mounted, the disk F on the truck-axle, for operating the wheels F, F, and F therefrom, and the shaft M, carrying the signal-light rotated by said frictional gearing, substantially as specified.

10. The combination, with one of the truckaxles of a caboose carrying a disk thereon, of the frictional gearing, the adjustable bracket 0, in which said frictional gearing is mounted, the signal-light in connection with 'the said gearing and rotated thereby, and the screwrod'E, in connection with one end of the adjustable bracket 0, for disengaging the gear ing carried thereby from the axle, substantially as specified.

11. The combination, with one of the axles of a caboose-truclz,,of the rubber disk F thereon, the bracket-frame O, and the frictional translating-gearing mounted in said bracket and adapted to have motionimparted thereto from the said rubber disk, and the shaft carrying the signallight and connected to the said gearing, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with the frictional gearing operated by a disk on the axle of a caboose-truck to revolve a shaft carrying a signal-light, of the adjustable bracket-frame carrying a portion of the said gearing, and the screw E, in connection with said bracket, to vertically adjust the same and thereby engage or disengage the gearing from connection with g the disk F, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM BOLSON.

\Vitnesses:

Gus LEHMANN, JOHN DOUGHERTY. 

